AsiaLIFE

From elite lounges to centuries-old dining societies and sports centres, Cambodia’s private member clubs are on the rise. Ellie Dyer opens the door to this world, medallions and all. Photography by Dylan Walker.

Roll up in a chauffeur-driven car, step into the secure lift, and get transported to Phnom Penh’s newest members’ club - The Vault. Complete with Chesterfield chairs, imported slate and marble fittings, and soaring brick archways, the highclass venue is set to make an impression on the capital upon opening this month.

The Vault is just the latest such establishment to burst onto the capital’s social scene. The country’s first private club, the Cambodian Country Club, opened in 2009. Since then, a handful of groups with specialties from sports to gastronomy have formed, adding to established business societies as potential draws for the well-connected.

But despite its flash interior and impressive colonial home located near to the Canadia Tower-based stock exchange and Wat Phnom, The Vault and its accompanying public lounge The Exchange had a less than illustrious start. Like so many good ideas, it was the brainchild of two men drinking at a bar.

“Tiger beer had a lot to do with it,” says public relations impresario Dave Potter who, together with former FCC, Metro and Fish restaurateur Tom O’Connor, is the face of the project.

With membership set at around $1,000 a year and would-be patrons already lining up, The Vault aims to bring Cambodia in-line with the club scenes of Bangkok, Hong Kong and London. It has been designed with the business community in mind and will offer five-star dining and a private setting for all important deals to be brokered. “Many people are doing business meetings in public,” says O’Connor.

Though the newest public addition to the capital’s private organisations, the Vault has some competition – albeit in a different model. If you look closely at the walls of some of Phnom Penh’s top eateries, for instance, a small plaque may give a clue to one of Cambodia’s most dining-savvy societies.

Historic Gastronomy

International gastronomic club Chaîne des Rôtisseurs launched a branch in the Kingdom in December 2010, and counts leading chefs, hoteliers and brewers among its 66-strong membership. Steeped in history, the society can trace its origins back to 1248 when King Louis IX of France ordered the establishment of a goose roasters guild. For more than 400 years, the group - later dubbed the “Confrérie des Rôtisseur” or brotherhood of roasters - helped develop culinary arts until its dissolution during the French Revolution.

The group was forgotten until two French journalists revived the tradition in 1950 as the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. It soon spread all over the world. Members don a medallion – displaying a coat of arms with four larding utensils surrounded by hearth flames – around their necks during events to celebrate culinary skill. Different coloured ribbons represent members’ diverse backgrounds, with orange for professionals in the catering industry and purple for non-professionals.

In Cambodia, participants include key players in the restaurant world who meet once every two months at top-notch eateries for black tie culinary extravaganzas and “to enjoy good food”. Though organisers say it’s a formality, applications to join have to be supported by two existing participants. Annual membership costs $250 for the first year, and $100 after that, with meals an additional cost.

Food lovers have more than one option when it comes to club life. Beefsteak and Burgundy also caters for foodies - but this one is for men only. Originally launched in Australia in 1953 by business men from the Adelaide wine industry, B&B launched its 265th branch in Cambodia in July 2010. Though its membership has already reached its 30-man limit, guests are allowed to join B&B’s monthly meals, where good wine, company and food are the name of the day. Meals cost $85 for non-members.

Sporting Choice

But not all organisations come with the potential for stomach-stretching gluttony. Cambodian Country Club, which led the way for private clubs, promotes sports and also hosts Phnom Penh’s only horse-riding centre, complete with a 4,500-square-metre equestrian arena. While country clubs have traditionally been the home of well-heeled gentlemen and golf enthusiasts, the CCC’s ethos is somewhat different. The club, located in suburban Phnom Penh, aims to be a sports-led centre for all comers.

General Manager Nicolas Leflon says that membership to the CCC is not, unlike namesakes in other parts of the world, a status symbol. “The image of country clubs is that they are elitist. This is not the case here in Cambodia... it’s more about a sports and leisure place where members can spend time with their friends and families. We don’t want to make it for only a few, we prefer to be open to everyone,” he says. “The club is young, the country is young and the mentality is different than other countries as well.”

The $650 annual membership fee does come with a personalised service, such as the pool being able to open at unusual times to accommodate individual schedules, but fees are also ploughed into improving the centre and the community. Serviced apartments are being built onsite and the equestrian centre offers free classes for disadvantaged children, many of whom have gone on to become some of the country’s top riders.

For additional sports information visit cambodian-country-club.com. To contact the Chaîne email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and for B&B email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .